Meghan Markle's Credibility Questioned in Court of Appeal After Former Aide Gives New Statement Against Her

Meghan Markle's credibility was called into question in the Court of Appeal yesterday as new evidence from one of her closest former aides was presented. Despite several denials, the former head of communications for the Duchess of Sussex claims she did "cooperate" with the authors of Megxit's book 'Finding Freedom.'

According to the evidence presented at the appeal hearing, Meghan's story is "materially false" and raises issues about her credibility.

Lawyers aim to use his declaration to reverse a High Court finding that the publishing of portions from a letter Meghan Markle, 40, addressed to her father, Thomas Markle, 77, constituted a copyright violation.

Meghan Markle letter lawsuit

New evidence apparently indicates that when Thomas was unable to attend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding in May 2018 due to a heart attack, he wrote her multiple "affectionate" messages, according to the court.

Per The Sun, the communications are reported to contrast a portrayal of her father in a People magazine article published in February 2019 in which he was depicted as indifferent. Meghan claims she was unaware that five of her friends had spoken to the magazine about her, resulting in Thomas transmitting the contents of the letter to The Mail on Sunday.

From February 2015 until February 2017, Knauf served as Prince Harry's communications secretary, and then Meghan's after the couple married. Later, it was revealed that he informed the palace's senior brass about allegations of bullying leveled against Meghan Markle by workers. Meghan vehemently refutes the accusations. Prince William and Kate retain Knauf's services.

The Mail on Sunday was sued by the Duchess of Sussex for infringing on her privacy and copyright by publishing a letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, pleading with him to stop talking to the media. In February, she won a resounding victory and issued a joyful statement condemning the newspaper's "illegal and demeaning tactics."

UK tabloid starts appeal against privacy ruling

The tabloid, on the other hand, has filed an appeal, claiming that she meant for the letter to be made public as part of a media plan at a time when royal protocol prevented her from commenting publicly.

Per Newsweek, the Mail on Sunday has now petitioned the Court of Appeal in London to allow a witness statement from her former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, to be included as evidence. In October 2018, the former employee, who was born in Texas, submitted a now-famous email accusing Meghan Markle of bullying two of her personal assistants out of Kensington Palace and expressing concern about a third.

The stakes were already high since a success for the tabloid would mean Meghan would have to testify and hand over private documents in a trial. Her own lawyers said in their court filing that it will result in greater breaches of her privacy. Knauf's intervention, on the other hand, adds another layer because it deals with a problem that has previously prompted Meghan to cry into her pillow.

Lawyer Andrew Caldecott responded on Tuesday, claiming that the letter was not meant as an "intimate communication for her father's eyes only." In March, the publisher was ordered to print a front-page statement declaring that it had infringed on the duchess' copyright, but the statement was not printed until the conclusion of the appeal.

Three senior judges will preside over the appeal, which is expected to span three days. A decision will be made at a later date. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced in early 2020 that they would be departing their royal duties and moving to North America, claiming "unbearable intrusions" from the British media as their reason, as per New7.au.

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